


Mirror Image

by LadyRhiyana



Series: Time travel and other twists [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Gen, Mirror Universe, Star Trek References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22991815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhiyana/pseuds/LadyRhiyana
Summary: “Captain’s log,” Captain Brienne Tarth said, “stardate – unknown. Beaming down to Westeros during an ion storm, I found the familiar planet…changed.”**[Or; Captain Brienne Tarth and Ser Jaime Lannister meet in the Red Tent]
Relationships: Jaime Lannister & Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Time travel and other twists [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1305521
Comments: 18
Kudos: 86





	Mirror Image

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so. This is inspired by the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Mirror, Mirror", which if you haven't seen it is the one where Captain Kirk & Co find themselves in a universe where the Federation has become the Empire and everyone is Evil. Oh, and Spock has a goatee. However, no knowledge of Star Trek is required to understand this ficlet. 
> 
> I do have plans to write another story which follows the episode more closely, featuring gold sparkly vests and midriff-bearing uniforms, evil counterparts and naughty goings-on, but I wanted to get this one out of my system first.
> 
> Please enjoy!

“Captain’s log,” Captain Brienne Tarth said, “stardate – unknown. Beaming down to Westeros during an ion storm, I found the familiar planet… _changed_.”

 _And wasn’t that an understatement_ , she thought. She’d materialised in a forest clearing wearing heavy armour, a gold-hilted sword sheathed at her side. A horse had been grazing nearby. It wasn’t the strangest way she’d materialised after a transportation gone wrong – that time when she’d been split into two separate selves was definitely the winner – and so she’d swung up into the saddle and considered what to do next.

The distant sound of drumbeats and trumpets and faint shouting had decided her. She pointed her horse in the direction of the noise and wondered what had gone wrong and how she was going to get back to her ship.

Commander Lannister had asked to see her to discuss some ship’s business. Perhaps they might have the evening meal together and play 3D chess while they went over crew rotations and evaluations.

She emerged from the forest to see the familiar sight of the heritage-listed fortress of Riverrun, its rose-coloured stone towers a popular tourist destination. But encircling the castle was – an _army_. A _mediaeval_ army. With armour and horses and siege engines.

There were banners and flags everywhere, a bewildering array of colours and symbols, and she could only recognise one of them: the gold lion rampant on crimson. House Lannister.

 _Hear me roar!_ Commander Lannister liked to say, with his brilliant, reckless grin. _We lions were a savage lot, once._

And there in the heart of the army, riding a white horse and dressed in ornate red and gold armour, was Jaime. Commander Lannister.

_What happened to his beard?_

**

The scouts brought her into the camp. She saw men watching her, recognition and disgust in their eyes and heard the whispered murmurs as she passed. _Brienne the Beauty!_ they said. _Kingslayer’s Whore._

 _Is there another Brienne Tarth, in this world and time?_ she wondered. _And who is the Kingslayer? The name sounds familiar…_

Finally they came to a luxurious red tent. The scouts gestured to her, and she ducked inside, into a red-shaded half-light lit only by scattered braziers.

 _He_ was watching her, his eyes shadowed and unreadable. “Lady Brienne,” he said. “Welcome.”

He was clean-shaven. Her eyes flicked to his right arm, where instead of a state of the art cybernetic hand he wore a gold-plated prosthetic. This was not her bright, reckless first officer; this man was older, crueller, and more weary.

She wondered how to address him. She had heard the men in full armour addressing each other as “Ser” –

“Ser Jaime,” she said.

What relationship did they share, in this strange new world?

“You’ve come at a bad time, I’m afraid,” he said. “I have orders to take Riverrun.”

She blinked. “Take it?”

His mouth twisted. “The Blackfish will not surrender. Cersei would no doubt prefer that I crush him and the last of his resistance beneath my golden fist. Unfortunately my uncle Emmon insists that I not damage _his_ castle – and there is the little matter of my vow to Catelyn Stark.” He cast her a darkling look, a flash of wry humour lighting his eyes. “My own poor attempt at regaining my honour. It’s a damnable coil.”

She did not know what he was talking about. But she thought she had the gist of it.

“Perhaps you can take the castle without force,” she suggested. “Outwit them.”

“You forget, Lady Brienne,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Tyrion is the clever brother. I’m only the handsome, reckless one.” His sharp smile faded. “And these days, not even that.”

She glowered at him. Commander Lannister would never be this pessimistic.

“Find a way, ser,” she said. “Find a way and make it stick. You are the commander of the Lannister armies. _You_ determine how the war will be fought.”

There was a moment of silence as he considered her. “There’s something different about you,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on it, but…”

“Never mind me,” she brushed his words aside. “What are _you_ going to do?”

He laughed, and for a moment he reminded her so strongly of Jaime that her heart skipped a beat. “Why, I shall take the castle, of course. Undamaged, and without raising arms against House Tully.”

“And then?”

His eyes narrowed and he sprang to his feet, a quick, lithe movement, fierce and graceful as a cat. “Oh come, Lady Brienne, do you want even more of me?”

She stood her ground. “If you’re so set on regaining your honour,” she said, “go and do it.”

He paused. Standing face to face, they stared at each other while the silence stretched between them.

“Go and do it,” he repeated. “Just like that.”

On their first mission together, Commander Lannister had jumped one-handed and unarmed into an ice-bear pit to rescue her. _They told me to go and get you,_ he’d said. _And so I did._

“Why not?” she asked. “Take the chance, Ser Jaime.”

**

Long hours later, after Engineering had finally fixed the transporter and she’d beamed back to her ship, Commander Lannister greeted her with a warm smile.

“Welcome back, Captain,” he said.

She eyed his cybernetic hand and his beard with relief. “Jaime,” she said, feeling a rush of affection for him. “It’s so good to see you again.”

They went back to the bridge together, walking side by side in perfect unison. Later, they shared the evening meal and played 3D chess, discussing ship’s business long into the night, while the ship carried them onwards, ever onwards, to new adventures and discoveries.


End file.
